1 Samuel 16

1 And the Lord said to Samuel: “How long will you mourn for Saul, though I have rejected him, so that he would not reign over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and approach, so that I may send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have provided a king from among his sons for myself.”

Pea naʻe folofola ʻe Sihova kia Samuela, “ʻE tuku ʻafē ʻa hoʻo tēngihia ʻa Saula; he kuo u liʻaki ia ke ʻoua naʻa pule ia ki ʻIsileli? fakafonu haʻo nifoʻi manu ʻi he lolo, pea ke ʻalu, te u fekau koe kia Sese ko e tangata Petelihema: he kuo u teuteu ha tuʻi mei hono ngaahi foha.

2 And Samuel said: “How shall I go? For Saul will hear of it, and he will put me to death.” And the Lord said: “You shall take, by your hand, a calf from the herd. And you shall say, ‘I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord.’

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samuela, “ʻE fēfē ʻeku faʻa ʻalu? Kapau ʻe fanongo ki ai ʻa Saula te ne tāmateʻi au.” Pea pehē ʻe Sihova kiate ia, “ʻAve ha pulu fefine mo koe, pea ke pehē, kuo u haʻu ke feilaulau kia Sihova.

3 And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will reveal to you what you should do. And you shall anoint whomever I will indicate to you.”

Pea ke ui ʻa Sese ki he feilaulau, pea te u fakahā kiate koe ʻaia te ke fai: pea ke pani maʻaku ʻaia te u lau kiate koe.”

4 Therefore, Samuel did just as the Lord told him. And he went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city wondered. And meeting him, they said, “Is your arrival peaceful?”

Pea naʻe fai ʻe Samuela ʻaia naʻe folofola ki ai ʻa Sihova. Pea naʻe tetetete ʻae kau mātuʻa ʻoe kolo ʻi heʻene hoko ki ai, ʻonau pehē, “ʻOku ke haʻu melino pe?”

5 And he said: “It is peaceful. I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord. Be sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “ʻOku ou haʻu melino pē: kuo u haʻu ke fai ʻae feilaulau kia Sihova: fakatapui ʻakimoutolu, pea mou haʻu mo au ki he feilaulau.” Pea naʻa ne fakatapui ʻa Sese mo hono ngaahi foha, ʻo ne ui ʻakinautolu ki he feilaulau.

6 And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and he said, “Could he be the Christ in the sight of the Lord?”

Pea ʻi heʻenau hoko mai, naʻe sio ia kia Iliape, pea pehē ʻe ia, “Ta ʻoku ʻi he ʻao ni ʻo Sihova ʻaia kuo ne pani.”

7 And the Lord said to Samuel: “You should not look with favor on his face, nor on the height of his stature. For I have rejected him. Neither do I judge by the appearance of a man. For man sees those things that are apparent, but the Lord beholds the heart.”

Ka naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kia Samuela, “ʻOua naʻa ke mamata ki hono mata, pea ki he māʻolunga ʻo hono sino; he kuo u liʻaki ia: he ʻoku ʻikai mamata ʻa Sihova ʻo hangē ko e mamata ʻae tangata; he ʻoku sio ʻae tangata ki he anga ʻoku hā ʻituʻa, ka ʻoku ʻafioʻi ʻe Sihova ʻae loto.”

8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and he brought him before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”

Hili ia naʻe ui ʻe Sese ke haʻu ʻa ʻApinatapi, ke ne ʻalu ange ʻi he ʻao ʻo Samuela. Pea naʻa ne pehē, ʻOku ʻikai fili ia foki ʻe Sihova.

9 Then Jesse brought Shammah. And he said about him, “And the Lord has not chosen this one.”

Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Sese ke ʻalu ange ʻa Sama. Pea pehē ʻe ia, “ʻOku ʻikai fili foki ia ʻe Sihova.”

10 And so Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”

Pea naʻe toe fekau ʻe Sese ke ʻalu ange hono foha ʻe toko fitu ʻi he ʻao ʻo Samuela. Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samuela kia Sese, “ʻOku ʻikai fili ʻe Sihova ʻakinautolu.”

11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Could the sons now be completed?” But he responded, “There still remains a little one, and he pastures the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse: “Send and bring him. For we shall not recline to eat, until he arrives here.”

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samuela kia Sese, “ʻOku ʻi heni hoʻo fānau kotoa pē?” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “ʻOku kei toe ʻae kimui, pea vakai, ʻoku ne tauhi ʻae fanga sipi.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samuela kia Sese, “Fekau ke ʻomi ia: koeʻuhi ʻe ʻikai te tau nofo ki lalo kaeʻoua ke haʻu ia.”

12 Therefore, he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy, and beautiful to behold, and with a stately face. And the Lord said, “Rise up, anoint him! For it is he.”

Pea naʻe fekau ʻe ia, ke ʻomi ia ki loto. Pea naʻe totototo mo e toulekeleka hono mata, ʻo matamatalelei ʻene hā mai. Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova, “Tuʻu hake, ʻo pani ia; he ko eni ia.”

13 Therefore, Samuel took the horn of oil, and he anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord was guiding David from that day and thereafter. And Samuel rose up, and he went away to Ramah.

Pea naʻe toki toʻo ʻe Samuela ʻae nifoʻi manu naʻe ʻi ai ʻae lolo, ʻo ne pani ia ʻi he ʻao ʻo hono ngaahi kāinga; pea naʻe hoko ʻae Laumālie ʻo Sihova kia Tevita talu mei he ʻaho ko ia. Pea naʻe tuʻu ʻa Samuela ʻo ʻalu ki Lama.

14 But the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from Saul, and a wicked spirit from the Lord disturbed him.

Ka naʻe mahuʻi ʻae Laumālie ʻo Sihova meia Saula, pea naʻe fakamamahiʻi ia ʻe he laumālie kovi meia Sihova.

15 And the servants of Saul said to him: “Behold, an evil spirit from God disturbs you.

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he kau tamaioʻeiki ʻa Saula kiate ia, “Ko eni, vakai, ko e laumālie kovi mei he ʻOtua ʻoku ne fakamamahiʻi koe.

16 May our lord order, and your servants, who are before you, will seek a man skillful in playing a stringed instrument, so that when the evil spirit from the Lord assails you, he may play with his hand, and you may bear it more easily.”

Ke fekau mai ni ʻe homau ʻeiki ki hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki, ʻoku ʻi ho ʻao, ke kumi ha tangata ʻoku poto ʻi he tā ʻoe haʻape: pea ʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻoka ʻiate koe ʻae laumālie kovi mei he ʻOtua, pea ʻe tā ʻe ia ʻaki hono nima, pea te ke moʻui ai.”

17 And Saul said to his servants, “Then provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.”

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Saula ki heʻene kau tamaioʻeiki, “Ko eni, mou kumi leva ni ha tangata ʻoku poto ʻi he tā meʻa faiva pea ʻomi ia kiate au.”

18 And one of the servants, responding, said: “Behold, I have seen the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a skillful player, and very strong and robust, a man fit for war, and prudent in words, a handsome man. And the Lord is with him.”

Pea naʻe lea ai ʻae tamaioʻeiki ʻe tokotaha, ʻo pehē, “Vakai, naʻaku mamata ki he foha ʻo Sese ko e tangata Petelihema, ʻaia ʻoku poto ʻi he tā, pea ko e tangata toʻa ʻaupito ia, mo e tangata tau, pea ʻoku anga fakapotopoto, pea ko e tangata matamatalelei, pea ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻa Sihova.”

19 Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send to me your son David, who is in the pastures.”

Ko ia naʻe fekau ai ʻe Saula ʻae kau talafekau kia Sese, ʻo pehē, “Tuku mai ho foha ko Tevita, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he fanga sipi, ke haʻu kiate au.”

20 And so, Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid from one of the goats, and he sent them, by the hand of his son David, to Saul.

Pea naʻe ʻave ʻe Sese ʻae ʻasi naʻe tauloto mā, mo e hina uaine, mo e ʻuhikiʻi sipi, ʻo ne ʻatu ia kia Saula ʻi he nima ʻo hono foha ko Tevita.

21 And David went to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him exceedingly, and he made him his armor bearer.

Pea naʻe hoko ange ʻa Tevita kia Saula, ʻo tuʻu ʻi hono ʻao: pea naʻe ʻofa lahi ia kiate ia; pea hoko ia ko hono hoa tau.

22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: “Let David remain before my sight. For he has found favor in my eyes.”

Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Saula kia Sese, ʻo pehē, “ʻOku ou kole kiate koe tuku mai ʻa Tevita ke nofo ia ʻi hoku ʻao; he ʻoku ou leleiʻia ai au.”

23 And so, whenever the evil spirit from the Lord assailed Saul, David took up his stringed instrument, and he struck it with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and uplifted. For the evil spirit withdrew from him.

Pea ʻi he hoko kia Saula ʻae laumālie mei he ʻOtua, pea pehē, naʻe toʻo ʻe Tevita ʻae haʻape ʻo ne tā ʻaki ia hono nima: pea naʻe fakafiemālie ai ʻa Saula, pea moʻui ai, pea naʻe ʻalu ʻiate ia ʻae laumālie kovi.